Historian and Journalist John Ghazvinian discusses his recent trip to Nigeria and the African oil boom. The U.S. now imports more oil from African nations than from Saudi Arabia. [includes rush transcript]

Democracy Now! piece on African oil. Frankly, I didn't realize we were getting African oil, but then, so many things America does we don't know about.

Remember, when you're using shell products, you're pumping the blood of the Nigerian people into your tank. There's been a boycott on shell that is suppressed- by the media- by caring people for years

I don't know if this has been brought up, but have you heard of col-tan? The scramble is on for all their minerals and resources- like the decimation of the congo's forests- rape the continent.

Here's an example of the crap these capitalistic corporatists (I call them corpitalists) do to countries-

From Democracy now June 08/07

Quote:

Families of Colombian Paramilitary Victims Sue U.S. Banana Giant ChiquitaRelatives of victims of a right-wing paramilitary group in Colombia have filed suit against the US banana giant Chiquita Brands. Earlier this year Chiquita admitted it had paid off the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Chiquita said it had fallen victim to an extortion racket that threatened its employees. Colombian prosecutors have also accused Chiquita of providing arms that were then used to push leftist rebels out of an area in northern Colombia where Chiquita had its banana plantations. The suit was filed on behalf of one-hundred forty-four people killed by Colombian paramilitary groups. Lead attorney Terry Collinsgworth says the suit could mark the biggest terrorism case in history. He said: “Putting Chiquita on trial for hundreds, or even thousands of murders could put them out of business.”

I know this is about South America, but if you look up the history of the United Fruit Company,you will see the pattern of abuse and theft of resources illustrated throughout its history, that is employed through the use of subversion, threats, bribes and economic hitmen.

Wonder what they send overseas help for in Africa? Could they be the spies that go in first- much like the Jesuit's were here in North America- pretending to help- while all the while, getting the information needed to set them up for the picking!!!

_________________Completely sane world
madness the only freedom

An ability to see both sides of a question
one of the marks of a mature mind

Actually, the CIA has been involved with western Africa for a years. The CIA has been funding various dictatorships in the region as well as rebel groups to their own advantage. Have you heard of AFRICOM? From what I have read we are building bases in Senegal and Guinea. And guess for what? Resources like the above.

I believe it was 1978 when oil was discovered. Before that, the Sudan was nothing.
After the discovery, the WMC (all of a sudden) had a cause. Yup and it went on from there. Just back these guys against those guys. Same "old" story. Sudan's civil war took nearly two million lives, and around five million or so were displaced.

Players ..

WMC

The Sudan Liberation Army

There is also the Janjaweed - Sudan's Secret Militia.

Oh and Mercenaries from Chad and elsewhere crossing back and forth the borders.

African Union Troops

Minni Minnawi -- Bloody war lord / cartel puppet.

Omar H.A. Al-Bashier Is President Of Sudan

Remember .. John Garang - (Was) Head Of The Sudan Liberation Army

Now, who Is -paying- the Rebels and who is -paying- for the Weapons?

There is much more to this (oil) power game then what first meets the eye.

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_________________You will know you have spoken the truth when you are angrily denounced; and you will know you have spoken both truly and well when you are visited by the thought police.

China’s need for oil reserves for its growing domestic economy has caused its government to pursue investments in many countries of marginal stability and democracy, but its greatest oil success abroad has been in Sudan.

Although the China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) had escaped the public relations hammering that Talisman was receiving, it was drawn into the controversy through the efforts of Sudan activists to bar the use of U.S. financial markets to raise money for anyone doing oil business in Sudan in late 1999.

China’s first foray into the world of high finance—to open up its enormous government-owned corporations to foreign investment—was a controversial offer to sell stock in CNPC to the public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Its offer, designed to raise a record U.S. $ 10 billion, had to be withdrawn and refashioned because of the negative publicity suggesting that the proceeds would be used to commit further human rights abuses in Sudan, Tibet, and elsewhere. Ultimately, the 90 percent-CNPC-owned subsidiary PetroChina, with a “firewall” to prevent any of the new capital from going to the Sudanese operations, proceeded with a stock offer to raise U.S. $ 10 billion. A broad-based coalition opposed to the PetroChina IPO ultimately succeeded in reducing the proceeds from the IPO by some 70% to only U.S. $ 2.89 billion. This reduced amount was raised with major participation from British Petroleum and a few other large companies. Questions about China’s financing of arms sales to Sudan and allegations of Chinese prison labor used in the construction of Sudan’s oil pipeline were never addressed........

You know why they want Iran right? It isn't about Iranian nukes, its about the Zagros Oil Belt. Untapped oil fields that must be controlled, so they can control prices. Tis always the way with oil fields. Always keep the amounts of oil low and keep prices up. Never let the truth get out about the total amounts of oil. It cost far more when it is kept in the ground and the cotrolled media cry about low supplies and etc.

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SI--

_________________You will know you have spoken the truth when you are angrily denounced; and you will know you have spoken both truly and well when you are visited by the thought police.

Actions speak louder than words. Keeping that in mind if there is so much oil left in the ground why are we all involved in battles around the world for control of it?
And further more Iran's original reason for seeking nuclear energy is because they realize in 20 years they will have little oil left and will need it for export. Somehow or some power switched the focus to creating a nuclear weapon. Was it Iran's new President Amanutjob and his vocal aggravation.
Suppose Ahmanutjob was, is, a western agent. When he first took office quite a few people jumped up and down saying he was in charge of the embassy take over

Americans held in the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Iran said yesterday they clearly recall Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad playing a central role in the takeover, interrogating captives and demanding harsher treatment for the hostages. "As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew that was the bastard," said retired Army Col. Charles Scott, 73, a former hostage who lives in Jonesboro, Ga. "He was one of the top two or three leaders," Col. Scott said in a telephone interview. "The new president of Iran is a terrorist."

And it is pretty much common knowledge that GHWB paid the hostage takers in cash to hold them till after Reagan got elected. And then was quickly followed by the Iran-Contra
CIA Inc. money making affair.

Remember GHWB is to the CIA, what Dick Cheney is to GWB. The Puppet Master.

Think About It.

TuT

_________________Look out kid, They keep it all hid.”
Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues”

I actually am in agreement with the concept of "Peak Oil". The government has been quite aware of this for some time. The U.S. peaked out in oil in the early 1970's and has increasingly been importing oil throughout the years. Now, what is happening the rest of the world is starting to dry up as well. So now there is a scamble for oil. Hence one of the main reasons we are in the middle east.

Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world next to Saudi Arabia. You think we are going to leave anytime soon. Doubt it. There is a huge push now for alternative fuels. Here is an article about it:

The problem with this article it is misleading and does not tell you the real reasons why they are not seeking to drill for oil elsewhere. It is simply not there. It makes no sense to drill when there is nothing left.

As for higher gas prices, well several factors play into this for one is that demand is outstripping supply, two- other countries have replaced petrodollars with petroeuros, and three, it is getting harder and harder to extract oil from the ground making it more expensive due to more "muck" material found in the oil- a sign that supplies are drying up.

According to the Russians, there is lots of oil in locations in or around Russia. It would be nice to have a list of all oil locations. Being told that oil is rare like Gold & Diamonds, sserves the same purpose, tol keep the prices very high. Copper is the latest rare item and the price has shot way up. What's next? Maybe plastic, rubber, Iron .. Who knows? I'm not saying they might not be less oil, I'm saying they'll do what they have always done - Lie, scam, exploit and so on. If they can -> they will. I'm not going to jump onto the rare oil band wagon, when I know we will never know the real truth of the situation. If they can convince us that oil is rare and running out, it will be $7.00 or more bucks a gallon before you know it. The only way they can make sure it is rare, is control all oil areas and keep it in the ground. Never let them know the true amounts. They will because that is what they do and that is how they operate.

For years they (Cartel) have bought up almost every fuel saving idea and then buried them. Like with low fuel usage for cars and so on. No mater what it is, be it alternative / synthetic, they will control / manipulate the production, flow and prices. Tis their way.

Anyway, earlier I mentioned - synthetic fuel from coal. There is some history on ww2 and how the Germans were doing it here. Making it cleaner would be very important today.

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http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airc ... becker.htmInasmuch as natural oil deposits in Germany were so few, long before the war efforts had been made to discover synthetic methods of producing gasoline and oil. In view of the country’s wealth of coal, it was logical to look in this direction for a solution. Both coal and petroleum are mixtures of hydrocarbons, and the problem was how best and most efficiently to isolate these elements from the coal and transmute them into oil. By the time Hitler became chancellor in 1933, four methods of achieving this were either available or in early stages of perfection.

The first process produced benzol, a byproduct of coking. Benzol was used as a fuel in admixture with gasoline. The drawback to increased production of benzol was the fact that it was tied to the quantities of coke that were needed at any given time, and these in turn were determined by the production limits of crude iron.

The second method produced a distillate from lignite coal. Brown or soft coal was gently heated, and the tars and oil were then extracted and distilled into fuel. The end product was of such low quality, however, that only 10 percent could be used as gasoline, with the remaining 90 percent useful only as heating oil and diesel fuel.

I am in agreement with you that the oil companies have bought out patented technology to pursue oil interests. Ever watch " Who Killed the Electric Car?" great documentary. It talks about how the oil companies bought out alternative fuels. Moreover, they are trying to make hydrogen an alternative fuel source as opposed to gasoline. What makes this more interesting the full efficiency of this technology is years away and still needs to work out the kinks! Moreover, there is simple technology that can just use water and convert it to hydrogen. But they don't want this to happen because it means the end of their industry. Making this more complicated is that the oil companies are now scrambling for alternative fuels so they can postpone or eliminate the concern over Peak Oil.

As for Russia, the problem is threefold. One is that Russia has more of an alliance with Central Asian Countries and the Caspian Sea- these countries have agreed to a contact where they will build a natural gas pipeline through their countries. This is a major blow to Western Oil companies because they were depending on a natural gas pipeline going through afghanistan so that the west had a ready supply of fuel.

The other problem is that no one is investing in the infrastructure of Russia due to the country renationalizing the oil industry. Everything is wearing down. Thus making it more difficult to search for more oil in the region. And who has the money? The Western Companies...they feel Russia is a threat to their cartel. And will not risk losing their monopoly to Russian interests. Either way, if they invest or do not invest, the US and Europe loses out due to the precarious relationship the West has with Russia.

And thirdly, according to CIA sources from what I read in "Crossing the Rubicon", the amount of oil in the Caspian region was grossily overestimated and is probably half to a quarter of what was originally estimated to be. Is it really worthwhile to invest in the region? So we are abandoning all hopes at present in the region.

Now of course the Russians will deny this because they have a lot to lose if this were really so. It would make them insignificant on the world scene. Hence, you see the US and other countries exploring other options, i.e., exploring oil in Africa, Colombia, Peru, and the South IndoChina Sea. Interesting how all these regions have so called guerillas and terrorists. Hmmmmmm...

Oh yeah .. I understand. Truth is, there lots we may never know. We do know they plan to control the industry and keep it rolling along on - no matter what. True, some great ideas have been buried and until something changes for the better, they will go on doing the same old things. Maybe we should all run out and buy more SUV gas hogs? We can use the Ocean for generating "clean" electricity. There are many new ways to do so and some have shown much promise. The old way of thinking "just" oil, oil, oil - needs to go. We will do this and that 10 or 20 years from now, is just their way of putting off good ideas. What we need is "real" action. The Electric Car? .. Yup, I know.

_________________You will know you have spoken the truth when you are angrily denounced; and you will know you have spoken both truly and well when you are visited by the thought police.